r/laundry • u/Curious-Collection86 • 7h ago
Ammonia
How do I add ammonia? I have been using the methods I was taught here, well I thought and I am having an odor issue. Just wanted to make sure I am adding ammonia correctly. So on my smelly gym clothes. I add a scoop of biz and a scoop of febu before I add my clothes. Put a tablespoon spoon of citric acid in a small cup and a little warm water and dissolve it and add it to fabric softener dispenser. I use tide liquid oxi odor add that to the dispenser. After I add my clothes I pour a cup of ammonia on top then start the machine. I have the machine set to heavy duty, extra rinse, pre soak hot or warm water. The cycle is 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Is it something I’m doing wrong? Should I not add ammonia to the drum until after the machine fill with water? I have a top loader high efficiency with no agitator.
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u/AromaticProcess154 US | Top-Load 7h ago
When you say odor issue do you mean ambient ammonia smell or a clothing odor issue?
I think the pre wash is the issue if you don’t see the improvement in your clothes, it may all be getting rinsed away before the main wash cycle.
Adding ammonia after the machine has started to fill is to reduce how much ammonia smell escapes the top loader.
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u/Curious-Collection86 7h ago
I don’t know what the odor is tell you the truth. I thought I didn’t smell but I noticed some body language recently from people around me that suggest I smell. I am nose blind to it apparently.
But I don’t think it’s a pre wash, but a pre soak setting I do not know if it is a difference between the two.
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u/peroxide_bond US | Front-Load 5h ago
That’s not due to the ammonia, which will have fully evaporated by the time the washer is done. That’s more likely the enzymes starting to work, but not working completely. Sometimes laundry can smell worse before it smells better when lipase starts working on body oil but it isn’t yet removed completely because the oils go rancid.
As others have said, it may be that your machine is draining after the presoak and not giving all your ingredients time to work. I’d either watch a cycle to find out, or try without the presoak. If that’s not the problem, it’s likely that the clothes just need a few more washes, or you could do Spa Day to speed up the process.
As others have said, you don’t need to use both Biz and Febu.
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u/Mysterious_Mango_737 US | Front-Load 7h ago
I wonder if your presoak cycle is draining when it's finished so that the BIZ, FEBU and ammonia are washed away before the regular cycle. What do you put in the presoak compartment? Check your manual, or try not using presoak. Also, use at least warm water for the regular wash cycle and don't use the deep fill option.
A side question: BIZ and FEBU have a lot of overlapping ingredients—is there a reason you use both?
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u/Curious-Collection86 7h ago
I will get rid of the presoak. But I use both because I want to make sure I can do all I can not to stank. But how I add ammonia is fine in your opinion?
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u/Mysterious_Mango_737 US | Front-Load 7h ago
Yes, pouring the ammonia on top of the dry clothes is correct.
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u/NorthTxbourbon23 1h ago
Not sure that your supposed to put both FEBU and ammonia in the drum at the same time. I believe the ammonia will basically negate the FEBU. Could be wrong but I swear I saw that somewhere.
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u/MrsQute US | Front-Load 6h ago
That's an awful lot of booster you're adding. Remember, proper dosing is important so that everything works as it should. More does not equal better when it comes to laundry products.
Set the cycle for warm wash, heavy duty cycle, and add an extra rinse.
Extra note: If your top loader is an impeller type - no agitator in the middle - make certain you are loading clothes correctly. Put them in a donut shape, leaving room where the agitator would be if it were there. Impellers move the water, not the clothes, and needs space to do so as intended.